


Why count the flower that is gone? (Because it is the one I love best)

by Pilgrim_Grey



Category: Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon
Genre: Aftermath of tragedy, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Grieving, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 02:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12807915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilgrim_Grey/pseuds/Pilgrim_Grey
Summary: The Gray Man approached the Hardys about a mission a few months after Iola's death.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [notearchiver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notearchiver/gifts).



> The title is taken from "Why count flowers that are gone?" - Jim Harrison and Ted Kooser's Braided Creek.
> 
> I hope this is what you are looking for. Cheers!

They met the Gray Man at a coffee shop in the mall. It was their first meeting with the Gray Man since the incident with Al-Rousasa. The boys knew that the Gray Man was under quite a bit of pressure from the Network over his decision to include the boys in the operation to capture Al-Rousasa. Apparently the higher-ups had not liked the idea of a couple of “amateurs” in their operation. When Al-Rousasa ended up dead instead of captured and alive, the Gray Man had come under fire for failing to achieve a critical mission objective.

Frank spoke first once they gave their orders to the smiling waitress. “How have you been?” He was unsure but figured that niceties were always a safe bet. Of course the Gray Man would completely ignore him and instead pull out a thick binder from the bag he had on the seat next to him. “Read this,” he said. Something about the way he said it, the way his mouth twisted for the slightest second made Frank hesitate, wary about the binder.

Joe, however, had no such reservations. He reached over Frank to pull the binder over to their side of the table. “Joe!” Frank hissed. “We owe him one, Frank, and you know it. Now are you going to dilly dally or are you going to read it with me? I am sure the Gray Man will answer your questions only after we read this.” Joe wouldn’t look at Frank, flipping open the binder.

Frank held in a sigh; Joe had been moody since the funeral. Not that he could blame him. The Mortons’ were devastated and there had been a strain in their friendship with Chet. Add in the complicating fact that the bomb was meant for Joe had almost been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Not wanting to cause a scene in the public, Frank gave in and bent his head over the binder too.

The first thing Frank noticed was the ‘TOP SECRET – CONFIDENTIAL’ stamp on the top of the page. Only then he started to read. Fifteen minutes later, Joe closed the binder and the Gray Man looked up from his own binder. “Questions?” he asked.

“You want us for an undercover mission. In a private college,” Frank began. The Gray Man sat there impassively, not saying anything. “According to these,” waving a hand over the binder, Frank continued. “The enrolment of the students is very strict. There are even background checks before a student can be enrolled. How are we supposed to get in?” Joe said nothing, but his expression indicated he agreed with what Frank was saying.

“You won’t be going alone; the Network will not allow it. One of my colleagues will accompany you. He has been hired as a lecturer and the two of you will be his assistants, who also study part time. Since he moved colleges, you will be transferred and enrolled in the same college as well,” the Gray Man’s face was a study in impassivity.  “When will we start?” Joe asked. Frank whipped his head around to stare at him. “Joe!” he said, feeling wrong-footed. He thought that Joe did not liked the Gray Man much so to have Joe agreeing to this so fast left him reeling.

“Next Monday. Be at Pride College by 7.30 am sharp. Just bring a change of clothes. My colleague will provide the rest,” the Gray Man smiled thinly as though he had not heard Frank’s objection. “Wait! We have not agreed!” Frank whirled back to snap at the Gray Man. He drew a breath to say something more but Joe’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.  “We owe him, Frank,” Joe said simply, reiterating his words from earlier.

The brothers stared at each other for a minute before Frank heaved a sigh. “Alright, fine. Just this one job, okay?” he said to Joe. Then he turned to the Gray Man, “How are we to know who your colleague is?” “He will say ‘Good morning! New students?’ and  you will reply ‘Not really, just seeing the sights’.”

“Alright. So is that all? To meet with your colleague and do a job for you?” Frank asked a bit more aggressive than his usual self, aggravated by the entire situation. “I will leave you boys to plan. Remember to be at Pride College by 7.30am. My colleague does not tolerate tardiness.” With that, the Gray Man nodded at them, put on his hat, stood and walked out without a backward glance.

The waitress returned then with their orders (it was a very busy morning). “Oh, where did your friend went? I managed to get the last platter of the Breakfast Special for him,” she said. “I’m afraid that something urgent came up and he had to run,” Frank replied, smiling tightly. Beside him Joe picked up a fork and started to poke on the stack of pancakes he ordered disinterestedly. “So, the platter?” the waitress asked, clearly not enthusiastic over hauling back an uneaten meal especially since the morning rush was slowing down. “Never mind, leave it, my brother and I will split it,” Frank said. “Okay then, enjoy!” A swirl of her skirt and she was gone.

“Here, might as well have breakfast on the Network’s dime,” Frank said, pushing half of the eggs, sausages and hash browns onto Joe’s plate. Joe looked up in surprise, “The Network’s dime? I didn’t notice the Gray Man paying.” “He did, right before he walked out of the shop,” Frank grinned, then sobered. “He must be a regular customer. The cashier seems to know him even though the waitress doesn’t. ““None of our business, Frank. It is just this one job and we will stay away from the Network. I don’t like them or the Gray Man. There’s just something shady about them” “You are probably right. We should focus on the mission instead of idle inferences.” Frank flipped open the binder the Gray Man had handed to them again.

“Hmm, says here that it was a suspected hub for organized crime to send their brightest and smartest. I wonder if they can actually bust them for studying if they are not doing anything wrong on campus,” Frank mused softly. “Not here, Frank. Too many people around. Let’s finish breakfast and go home,” Joe quickly closed the binder and set it aside. His voice was also pitched low, worried for listening ears. Frank blushed, clearing his throat. “Ahem, yes, you are right. I was just slightly carried away.”

They quickly finished their food and left, making sure to leave a tip for the waitress. They quickly went up to their room once they were home. Luckily no one was at home, not even Aunt Gertrude, or else they may have been stuck talking to them. It’s not that the boys didn’t love their aunt or their mum, but right now they were too impatient to stop and talk.

Once in their room, Joe took out the binder he slipped into his bag as they were leaving. Inside were the details of their upcoming mission. According to the binder, Pride College was supposedly an elite private college. The lecturers were sourced from the best institutions all over the world and they specialized in smaller classes so that individual attention could be given to the students. In short, the college offered customized learning for the rich and wealthy.  The boys made a face in unison. What were the college founders thinking? Most institutions that level _encouraged_ independent learning but Pride College coddled their students by creating _customized_ learning plans to accommodate all the students’ quirks and habits and hobbies.

Apparently the Network had picked up chatter that the college was actually a front for some nefarious schemes involving some of the students. There were rumours of extortion, blackmail, money-laundering, and even a few mentions of smuggling. Nothing concrete to tie it to the college of course, but the names of a few of the directors of the college came up enough times to show up on the Network radar. There were also rumours that the students were also not all on the up-and-up. Add to the fact that there was evidence of a new gang operating near Bayport, the Network decided to check out the college.

The boys memorized the details and shredded the binder as instructed by the last page. Then the shredded paper was put into several different trash bags to be taken out later. The boys started to pack. Their meeting was supposed to be next Monday; it was already Saturday. They would need to pack and later convince their mother and aunt that they have to go somewhere for a few days. Quickly and efficiently, Frank and Joe each packed a small bag. It was nothing much, just a few pairs of casual attire and one pair of formal wear each for the both of them.

They were just finishing up with their packing when they hear the front door opened and Aunt Gertrude’s voice floated up to them, “-and I was telling George that the oranges are bad but he would not listen. Of _course_ I wouldn’t have bought them! The _nerve_ of him calling me _blind_!” Frank looked at Joe grinning, but the grin faded when Joe did not even look at him. Joe only looked up at him once he had finished packing his last pair of socks into the bag and zipped it up. “You done, Frank? Mom and Aunt Gertrude are home and I think it would be better to get this over with.”

“Yes, just about. One more pair of socks, and I am done,” Frank muttered, throwing a pair of his socks in, zipping up the bag hastily. He frowned internally. A few months ago Joe would have shared a grin with him over Aunt Gertrude but now it was as if Joe had not even heard Aunt Gertrude’s indignant complaints. Joe had been different since Iola’s death, less happy and more distant. Frank’s heart ached for him but he did not know to help Joe. He can only hope that time will bring the healing Joe so clearly need.

The conversation did not go well. Mom could not or did not want to understand why they have to go; while she had always been quietly supportive of their sleuthing activities, this time she firmly refused. Frank could understand: she was frightened and shaken by the car bomb and the following activities. Aunt Gertrude did not say anything, but the firm thin line of her lips displayed her displeasure clearly. But Joe, Joe was the worst. White-faced and tight-lipped, he would not back down. He did not shout or scream, but stated calmly that he _was_ going, whether or not they agree or not.

Brazen, impulsive and impetuous, Joe Hardy had always been difficult to refuse, more so when his determination was born out of conviction that this was the right path to take. Laura Hardy turned to her eldest in despair and cried, “Frank! Would you not talk some sense into your brother? Why must the two of you get involved with the Network?” “Mom, I told you already, it is a favour in return for what the Gray Man did for us during _Dead on Target_. It is only this one job and we won’t ever see him again,” Joe cut in before Frank could say anything, his tone impatient.

Frank threw Joe a warning glance before he turned back to his mother, “Mom, Joe is right, we _do_ owe the Gray Man for allowing us to work on the case. According to him this will not be a long term thing. They just need someone to pose as assistants so that their agent would not look conspicuous. Chances are they would have hired real students if we aren’t there. So don’t worry, Mom. We will be okay.” Laura looked from one boy to another. She did not say anything, knowing that once their minds were made up; there was nothing she can say to sway them, just like their father. “Go then. I cannot stop you,” she said finally, turning away. “Mom…” Frank tried, but Joe pulled him away. “Come on, Frank. We need to get ready.”

 

**********

 

Two days later, the boys woke up at 5 in the morning. In silence, they got ready. They came out of their room to see Laura standing outside her room she shared with her husband, Fenton. As usual, Fenton was away on a case. When she saw them, she came forward, catching both of them in a hug. “Be careful, the both of you,” she said in their ears, holding them tightly. “We will,” Frank promised while Joe nodded. Neither spoke about the possible dangers but the specter of it lurked above them.

“Good. Now go downstairs. Your Aunt Gertrude is making you breakfast. Eat first before you leave,” Laura said, releasing them from her hug. Joe shouldered his bag and disappeared down the stairs after giving her a small smile. Frank made to follow him when his mother’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Frank, take care of Joe. I don’t think he has recovered from the Tragedy yet,” Laura looked deeply into her eldest’ eyes when she spoke. She knew that Frank loved his brother dearly but seventeen was still very young and she worried over Joe who was even younger by a year.

Even adults did not deal well with trauma and now she suddenly wondered whether they should have made Joe see someone. But it was too late; Frank and Joe were heading out to repay a favour to a man she hoped they had never met. All she can do was to hold tight and pray for their safe return.

Frank knew what she was asking; he had seen it himself, the way that Joe was sleeping less and even when he slept, it was filled with nightmares. “I will, Mom,” he answered quietly, willing her to understand that he would look out for his brother forever. Maybe she did, because she gave him a tremulous smile and a kiss on his cheek before pushing him gently towards the stairs.

Right on cue, Joe shouted from the kitchen. “Frank! You are not getting anything if you don’t come down!” “Coming! Leave some of the bacon and eggs for me!” Frank shouted back, reaching for his bag and running down the stairs.

 In two hours’ time they will meet with their contact from the Network in front of Pride College.


	2. Chapter 2

They took a cab for the journey, reaching Pride College 10 minutes before they were supposed to meet with their ‘supervisor’. Frank paid the driver while Joe hauled their bags out of the cab. Then they were left staring at Pride College, or the gates of Pride College.

The college was situated at the outskirts of Bayport, near some of the older neighborhoods. The gates, at least, matched the neighborhood – a pair of giant, ornate metal gates like those in fantasy or medieval stories. Around them big colonial-era houses surround them, imposing and quietly judgmental.

No sooner had the cab driven away the boys became aware of a car coming towards them. It stopped right in front of the gate and the window was rolled down. A youngish man with straw blond hair poked his head out and said, “Good morning! New students?” “Not really, just seeing the sights!” Frank replied. The man laughed and said, “Get in. We are meeting the Dean at 8.00 a.m.”

Frank and Joe climbed into the car, with Frank riding shotgun. “Alright, I assumed that the Gray Man had briefed you about this mission?” Once inside the car the man turned serious. “Yes, we know the background but we are also supposed to listen to you on how to go about this mission,” said Frank. “Very well. I am Sam, Sam Campbell. You will find your IDs in the glove compartment. Obviously we won’t be calling the two of you Hardys. You will keep your first name, like me, but your last name for now is Potter.” Frank took out the new IDs ( _fake_ , he had to remind himself) and passed Joe’s back to him. They got to work swapping out their real IDs for those provided.

“I will keep those,” said Sam. “I will send these to the Gray Man for safekeeping when I meet him later this week.” “Why can’t we give it to him ourselves?” Joe was not pleased. He was reluctant in handing over his IDs to strangers, which, smart. “Because I will be giving the two of you ‘punishment homework’ which you won’t be able to finish without _staying on campus_. Any more questions?” Sam wasn’t exactly angry, but his tone brooked no argument and even Joe in his bad mood realized that.

Twenty minutes they were sitting in the dean’s office. The dean did not look particularly like a villain, Frank thought to himself. With his wire-rimmed glasses and greying hair, Professor Mark Williams looked just like any of the myriads of academics who dotted the educational institutions. He glanced over to where Joe sat on the other side of Sam. Joe had not said anything since the silent rebuke from Sam in the car earlier and Frank was frankly worried; Joe had not been the most pleasant person to be around for the past several months and he had had some mood swings.

“Well Professor Leeds, your papers seem to be in order. And are these two young men your protégés?” Professor Williams finished reading the small stack of papers that included Sam’s resume (faked) and the boys’ academic results (also faked). He did not wait for Sam to reply, continuing, “I must say, their results are pretty impressive. I think they will both be a pleasure to teach and they will certainly enjoy the academic environment of our college! Bright young men will go farther, much farther, with appropriate guidance, don’t you think so, Professor Leeds?” “Of course, Professor Williams. I must say these two young men had been good students. Of course guidance and the occasional discipline is still necessary,” Sam replied, smooth as butter.

Professor Williams frowned concernedly, “I hope you are not talking about physical discipline. Our college is against that kind of discipline. We believe that the best of the students can be achieved without undue violence. In addition, the students are all adults, or very nearly adults. We believe that physical discipline at this point would do more harm than good.” “No! I would never think of doing that. I am also aware of the college’s principles before I applied; I would not have applied if I disagreed, would I?” Sam sounded so affronted that Frank even believed him for a moment.

Sam was subjected to a good long searching look by the dean, who seemed to be trying to determine whether he was sincere. Apparently what he saw in Sam’s face reassured him as he dismissed them. A young perky gentleman turned up to lead them to their rooms.

“Hi! My name is Jorge Jorgun, nice to meet you all. I will take the Professor to his rooms first. They are nearer, as the lecturers’ hostel are just behind these buildings. Potters, you will be bunking together in the student hostel, the last building to the right.” So saying, Jorge led them to the lecturers’ hostel. Much like the main building, it was another sprawling complex. Inside, the rooms Sam was entitled to as a lecturer was much more luxurious than anything the newcomers could think of.

“Make yourself at home, Prof. Class would be starting in 2 days’ time so you have some time to acclimatize yourself. Alright Potters! Let’s go see your rooms.” Jorge handed Sam his keys and turned to usher the boys out of the doorway. “Frank and Joe, come back here when you have finished unpacking your stuff,” Sam said before they can leave the room. “Yes sir,” they replied in chorus, almost as though they practiced beforehand.

Jorge was kind enough to not laugh until they were no longer in earshot of Sam. Then he let loose with peals of delighted laughter. Joe just scowled even harder. They followed Jorge as he turned to go down a windy, twisted path in the midst of the buildings. They reached the hostel in less than 10 minutes. “Here. These are your keys. Enjoy yourself before classes start up again in 2 days,” Jorge tossed them the keys before leaving.

Joe caught the thrown keys in his left hand but said nothing, scowling at Jorge’s retreating back. Frank suppressed a sigh and took the keys from Joe. A quick twist and the door popped open. Frank took hold of his bag and step in, Joe following close behind. They unpacked in silence, knowing that they will be here for quite some time.

A short time later, Joe stood up and stretched after putting away his last pair of socks (balled up, in the drawer). “Well? What now?” Joe looked over to where Frank lounged on his bed, his things already unpacked and put away. “The dossier the Gray Man gave us said that we will be learning under Sam. I assume that he would also tell us to register in whatever class we need. Think we should go ask him now?” Joe narrowed his eyes at Frank. He _had_ read the dossier as well; he knew all this and he knew Frank knew. Frank was just being annoying on purpose. “Fine. Let’s go and ask,” he grumbled.

“And get lunch while we are at it,” replied Frank, jumping up from his bed. They locked the door behind them, although Joe muttered under his breath what a waste of time it was with the lock so flimsy that a good kick can do it in. Hell, probably a half-hearted kick can do the job. Frank shushed him.

They walked back to Sam’s room where they found Sam waiting for them inside. “There you are,” he said. “Here.” Sam handed a piece of paper to each of them. “Your new timetable and classes. I have highlighted some of the _nicer_ teachers and students that it will _benefit_ you two to get to know about.” Neither Frank nor Joe missed the slight emphasis Sam placed on ‘nicer’ and ‘benefit’ and both nodded at Sam to indicate they understood.

“Alright! We will, Professor. Now, how ‘bout some lunch?” Frank answered before switching the topic. He _was_ hungry after all. “Of course. Come on, we can get familiar with the school cafeteria and see what they have to offer,” Sam said, rising from his seat. Joe was silent but a small grin showed that he wasn’t that opposed to lunch either.  

 

************

 

When the three reached the school cafeteria, it was full of students. Apparently a few classes had ended at the same time and the students all flocked to the school cafeteria in search of food. “Wow. Looks like we will have to wait for a seat _and_ to order,” Frank observed, looking around in dismay. “Not quite,” Sam smiled. “Follow me, boys.”

Intrigued, the boys followed Sam to a door to the side of the cafeteria. The door opened into a smaller cafeteria which was pretty empty except for a few men and women sitting at the far end. “This is a cafeteria set aside for the lecturers,” Sam explained. “Since you two are my assistants, you may as well eat here while we talk about my teaching plans.” The boys nodded in understanding.

By this time, the few people in the room were already looking at them. Sam nodded at them but did not say anything; they would be introduced in the introductory session this afternoon. They ordered and while waiting for the food to arrive, Sam took out two thick folders. “Now, I have been assigned to teach Chemistry – Introduction and Chemistry – Level One. Joe, you will be my TA – teaching assistant – for the Introduction class and Frank, TA for the Level One class.” He passed the two folders to the boys.

Frank opened up the folder marked “Level One”. Inside were a summary of the suggested syllabus and Sam’s detailed teaching plans. He looked over to Joe’s folder and sure enough, it contained similar things. Frank and Joe looked at each other, and then turned to look at Sam. Sam smirked slightly. “And here are your timetables. You two will be mostly in the same classes, except for a few electives. Don’t worry; your classes will not clash with my classes.” Two pieces of paper were passed over.

Before either Frank or Joe could say anything, their food arrived. Sam took that chance to change the topic and start talking about the food. The boys ate their food and listened to Sam talk about the different food of different countries.

After lunch, the boys followed Sam to his rooms, ostensibly to discuss the lesson plans. But first of all, a discussion about their timetables was necessary.  The classes the boys were enrolled in were chosen for them. Of course there are certain reasons to the classes chosen. Sam took out Frank’s timetable first. “Alright. The classes you both are enrolled in are specifically chosen for the two of you. In each class there will be certain persons of interest which we hope you will get close to and either eliminate or confirm as a suspect. Understand?” Sam looked at the boys sternly. Both Frank and Joe nodded; they had already anticipated some of this.

“Right, now you understand, let’s talk about the people you will need to get to know.” Seeing as they both understand, Sam did not waste any more time, but took out yet another folder filled with pictures and profiles of students. Picking up one of the many stapled together stacks of paper, Sam said, “This is Samantha Browne. She will be your classmate for Psychology – Clinical Trials, Frank. She is popular among the students and according to the information from our system, she……” The entire afternoon was spent in Sam’s room talking about the possible suspects and memorizing the details. Sam did not allow them to take the folder out of his rooms. After the two memorized the names and relevant information, Sam lit the papers on fire and burnt them in the ash tray in the room.

By the time the boys returned to their room, it was already nearing 8 o’clock. “Dinner?” Frank asked. “I am not too hungry, you go. I am turning in,” Joe refused, instead taking out his towel and toothbrush. “Sure?” “Yeah, you go ahead,” Joe replied. Frank nodded, but waited until Joe was in the bathroom before leaving the room.

At this time of night, most of the students had already finished their dinner. Some of them returned to their rooms, some went to their night classes while still others went to do whatever they do during their free time. Therefore, by the time Frank reached the cafeteria, it was half-empty. He ordered a burger and sat down to wait.

No sooner had he sat down, two boys detached themselves from the gaggle of students huddled together near the wall. “Hey, you new?” The taller of the two asked.  “I am Patrick Stone, and this is John Warrow.” “Nice to meet you. I am Frank Potter. Me and my brother are newly transferred to Pride College,” Frank introduced himself, shaking the proffered hand. Patrick Stone and his sidekick, John Warrow, were among the persons of interest Sam had them memorized this afternoon.

“Potter? You are the students with Professor Leeds?” asked Warrow. “Yeah. You know of Professor Leeds?” Frank ask in surprise. After all, they had just arrived that day. “He is taking over for Chemistry – Introduction and Level One, isn’t he? Warrow and I are both in Level One. Our previous professor already told us there will be a new professor taking over and we were informed of our new Professor yesterday,” Stone said, waving his hand nonchalantly.

Frank smiled slowly. “Let me reintroduce myself. Frank Potter, TA for Chemistry – Level One,” he said impishly.  Stone and Warrow looked dumbstruck. “TA?” Warrow sounded strangled. “Yes, Professor Leeds is our supervising lecturer. In return, we assist him in lecturing.” “Uh, um, I see. Err, do you want to come over? They all are looking forward to meet the new students,” Stone hemmed and hawed before changing the subject awkwardly. “Sure,” Frank agreed, rising.

Before going over to the group, he made a detour to the kitchen and retrieved his burger before bringing it over to the group. It was a mixed group of students with girls and boys. But all of them have one thing in common – they were all students of Chemistry – Level One. Once they knew that Frank was going to be their TA, Frank found himself bombarded with questions on Professor Leeds’ teaching methods.

Frank spent nearly two hours with them before he escaped. Their room was dark when he returned. He quietly entered their room. Joe was already in bed and apparently soundly asleep. Frank quickly washed up and got into bed. Tomorrow they will start their classes.


	3. Chapter 3

Before Frank and Joe realized it, two weeks have passed since they first stepped into Pride College. In that time, they had returned home only once and talked with their mother and aunt a bare handful of times. The rest of the time was spent on campus, studying and mingling among the other students. The boys were quite surprised and secretly glad when they realized they can easily follow the curriculum.

Although Joe was still moody sometimes, a new environment and new challenge served to keep his mind active so that sometimes he looked exactly like the boy Frank remembered from a few months ago. But one thing had changed. Joe used to be an incorrigible flirt but now he was standoffish to all flirtations.

They were gathered in Sam’s room again ostensibly to study, but in reality comparing information. Sam had done well in joining in with the staff. According to him, they were a congenial bunch but there were one or two who were distant. So far he had found nothing suspicious among staff. “I think we can almost rule out the staff as being connected to the gang,” he commented, sipping on his coffee. “What about you two? Anyone seems suspicious to you?” Sam was, of course, asking about the students.

“So far nothing. Far as I can tell, they are all just a bunch of normal but mediocre students,” Frank replied, frowning at the profile he was looking at. “Joe? What about you?” Sam hmm-ed, then turned to Joe expectantly. But Joe was not in the mood to be cooperative that morning, scowling hard at the table instead of answering.

Sam looked towards Frank for answers. Frank smirked, but replied anyway. “There’s a girl in Joe’s class who apparently like him very much and will not take no for an answer.” “Frank!” Joe growled. It was not funny damnit! He had told Veronica again and again that he was not interested and yet she insisted on chasing after him. It was very frustrating and annoying.

Sam’s attention was not on Joe’s annoyance however; he was more interested in the girl chasing after him. “What’s her name?” he asked, already sifting through the piles of profile. “Veronica Mayes,” Joe supplied sullenly. “Here,” Frank reached over and pulled out a profile nearly completely hidden by the other files.

“The name sounds familiar……. Ah! Here it is,” Sam exclaimed in triumph upon finding the information he wanted. “According to her file, she is the niece of a powerful gang boss based in Chicago. There is a chance of her being in the family business and she is the contact for the gang. Joe, try to get closer to her, flirt with her, date her if you have to.” Sam ordered, not realizing that Joe’s face was turning blacker the more he said.  Frank tried to interrupt but was already too late. Joe stood up abruptly and cried hotly, “NO! I will not do any of those things!” Before either Frank or Sam can recover their wits, he lunged out of the door and was gone.

“Joe!” Frank shouted after him, but all he could see was a rapidly retreating back. Other students and staff turned to glare at the person who dared to disturb the peace and tranquility of a Saturday morning. Frank did not care. He made to go after Joe but Sam pulled him (haul bodily) into the doorway of his room. “Enough! Do not make a scene here. I am sure your brother can take care of himself easily.” Sam said to Frank sharply.

“But-” Frank started to protest but Sam was stronger than he looked. Sam dragged him into the room. “Listen. It will not do to draw attention to yourself now. There are still some people not yet eliminated from suspicion. Veronica Mayes is one, the others are under your file. Oh, and do take extra notice of Tracey Vedd. Something about her does not add up.”

Frank was annoyed but he still listened to Sam. Luckily Sam did not take too long to finish his instructions. Ten minutes later, Frank was on his way back to the room he shared with Joe. He wasted no time returning to the room, but Joe was not in the room. He wasn’t surprised. Joe always liked to be alone in times of emotional upheaval. If they were anywhere else, Frank would let him stew until he calmed down. But now in this place with unknown dangers, Frank dared not let Joe do so. He went out to search for Joe.

Frank ignored crowded places, instead going for the quietest places he can find on campus. Although he did not know where Joe went, he knew for certain that Joe will not leave the grounds even in such a fit of temper.

Frank was nearing the lake when he heard raised voices. At this time of day, nearing the end of lunch and the start of the next class, there weren’t a lot of people near the lake. Therefore Frank was not surprised to hear one of the voices was Joe’s. He quickened his steps towards the quarrel.

Although most people were either having lunch or preparing for the next class, there were still students dotted around the lake. Most of them were sneaking peeks at where Joe and a girl were arguing while pretending they didn’t hear anything.

“– And I said ‘NO’! Veronica, I told you I am _not_ interested in starting a relationship!” Frank was close enough to hear them when Joe suddenly shouted. Frank looked over in surprise at the dark-haired beauty who was apparently _the_ Veronica Mayes he had been hearing so much about.  “Well, as I told you, I am not giving up either! We can start by being friends if you like, but I really like you!”

Huh, guess Veronica is a little spitfire also, Frank thought to himself while moving forward quickly. “Joe,” he said, tapping Joe’s shoulder. “What?” Joe snarled, whirling to face him. “Professor Leeds is looking for us,” Frank said. That’s the only thing he could think of to make up a reason to bring Joe away. Veronica was looking at them stubbornly. “Hi, I am Frank, Joe’s brother,” Frank extended a hand to Veronica.

Close up, he could see the reason for Joe’s violent reaction; there was something about Veronica which reminded him of Iola.  Perhaps they were both brunettes, but he was pretty sure it has something to do with their spirited tempers either. Frank could not fault Joe for not wanting anything to do with Veronica; even he was feeling uncomfortable with her.

“Well? Come on, the professor is waiting!” Joe said impatiently, already half-turned around. He leapt at the chance to shake off Veronica, annoyed but unable to escape. Frank did not reply, merely turning to walk away.

The brothers walked in silence until they reached the turnoff to their dorm room.  Frank started to walk towards their dorm room, but Joe pulled at him sharply. “Hmm?” Frank hummed, twisting to look at his brother. “I thought you say the professor is looking for us?” Joe asked. “Oh that. Well, that’s just an excuse to escape,” Frank smirked at him. “What?” Joe let go of Frank in shocked. “So you mean the professor is not looking for us?”

“Of course not, but he did gave us some ‘homework’,” Frank replied, stressing slightly on the word ‘homework’. Joe shot him a glance, but said nothing, instead leading the way to their room. Only when they were safely ensconced in their room did Frank told Joe what Sam told him earlier. Joe listened quietly until the very end, then concluded, “So Sam still wants me to get close to Veronica.”

“Yes. The other suspects are mostly in my classes. Only Mayes is in your class. Also, she is the most probable suspect. That’s why Sam wants you to stick close to her,” Frank said, observing Joe closely but Joe’s expression was closed off. “Tell Sam to stay out of my business. I will settle this with Veronica myself,” Joe said before turning away to take out his work for his classes.

Frank let him be, knowing that there was no point talking to Joe when he was in one of his moods. So he decided to finish up some coursework for his classes instead.

 

********************

 

The next few days, Joe was rarely in their room, returning late at night only to leave early the next morning. Frank would have been worried if he had not heard of rumours of Joe and Veronica dating. Apparently someone had seen them together often early in the morning and late in the evening around the campus. He was surprised that Joe suddenly changed his minds, but he kept his opinions to himself. As long as the mission was done, it was not like they were likely to meet Veronica again.

Nevertheless, when one day he returned to the room and found Joe lounging on the bed, he couldn’t help but asked, “I heard you and Veronica are dating?” Joe did not looked up from his book, but answered distractedly, “No, not dating.” “Then? People have seen you two together often this past week,” Frank said. “Not dating, and people need to keep their noses out of other people’s business. Now can you shut up and let me read my book? I need to finish this before my next class in 2 hours,” Joe held up the book which Frank recognized as a reference book recommended by one of his lecturers but this was the first time he heard that Joe’s class was using it too.

“My class has that book recommended as well. I have finished it. I can tell you what it says if you tell me everything,” Frank tried to tempt Joe. He knew full well that the subject was not one of Joe’s favourite, although not his weakest either. “You read it? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Joe finally looked up from the book. “Tell me what it is trying to say. I swear, the author of this book does not have one organized thread of thought in the entire book,” he said, running a hand through his hair frustrated.

Frank choked back a laugh at Joe’s stymied face. “Well, do we have a deal?” he asked, trying hard to keep a straight face. “What deal?” “I summarize the book for you and you tell me everything about you and Veronica.” “Deal!” Joe barely hesitated before agreeing to the ‘deal’.

As Joe’s class was soon, they decided that the story between Joe and Veronica can wait until night. Frank spent the next hour and a half explaining the entire book to Joe. Luckily he had finished the book and the class had just discussed the book two days ago. Joe was also smart enough to understand the concept easily even though he didn’t really like the subject.

That evening, the boys took their dinner in their room. Joe told Frank everything. It was never supposed to be a secret anyway, only that Frank asked at a most inopportune time that afternoon.

Joe and Veronica were not dating. The day after the big blow up in Sam’s room, he went to find Veronica. Joe told Veronica part of the truth: that he had a girlfriend who died recently. That’s why he wasn’t looking for a new relationship at the moment. Veronica was surprisingly understanding. She apologized for her bullish approach before and asked whether they could be friends.

That was exactly what Joe was looking for: being friends. It was an easier way to get close to Veronica while not forcing him to date another girl when his heart still belonged to Iola. As for their closeness the past week, Joe explained that Veronica asked him to join her on her morning runs while in the evenings they were usually studying together.

“Then why aren’t you with her tonight?” Frank asked after Joe explained. “She said that she always go back home on weekends,” Joe shrugged. “Chicago?” Frank immediately thought of her mob boss uncle up in Chicago. “No, apparently her parents lived just two hours away 5 towns over. But she did say that her uncle often come over on weekends,” Joe did not meet Frank’s eyes when he said that.

He hoped that Veronica was not the link they were looking for simply because Veronica looked so much like Iola. However, he would not be swayed if she was because deep down he knew that Veronica was not Iola. After staying close to her for these few days, he noticed that Veronica was more daring and rebellious than Iola ever was and she had a casual flippancy to her that made him uncomfortable.

“Joe, I think we need to tell Sam this,” Frank stood up, reaching for his jacket. The nights were getting chilly. “Yeah, let’s go see him now,” Joe agreed. He shrugged into his own jacket before walking out first. Frank quickly locked the door before catching up with Joe.  


	4. Chapter 4

As predicted, Sam was very interested in the information the boys gave him. He told the boys to return to their room and immediately left the college grounds. He didn’t offer any clues to where he was going and the boys didn’t ask. Some things were better left unknown.

They did not see Sam for the entire weekend. The boys returned home and had a nice break from their detective work, especially Joe. Between his coursework, sleuthing and dealing with Veronica, he was exhausted. On Sunday afternoon, the boys packed their things and returned to Pride College, where they found Sam waiting for them in their room (they had given him a key just in case).

“Good, you two are back,” Sam stood up as soon as the boys entered the room. “We have basically pinpointed the Mayes’ family to be the gang behind the recent situation. The only thing we cannot be sure yet is whether Veronica is involved. The higher ups agreed to give us another week to find out. If we cannot find out in this week, then the Network has decided to just detain everyone from the Mayes’ family and interrogate them. “

At this, Frank and Joe glanced at each other swiftly before giving their full attention to Sam again. Sam pretended to not notice. “Therefore, now I need the two of you to focus on Veronica. Frank, the other suspects are considered eliminated from suspicion. Please help Joe with Veronica. Joe, try to get her to talk with you more,” Sam ordered. Frank looked at Joe again but Joe kept his face carefully blank.

“Anything else?” he asked. “If that’s all, I want to rest now.” So saying, Joe started to gather the things for bed. Sam shook his head, but said nothing. He nodded to Frank then let himself out of the room. There’s nothing more to tell the boys. For now, getting closer to Veronica was the most important thing.

Frank waited until the footsteps faded before he got up and went to where Joe stood rigidly looking out of the window. Joe stood there the moment Sam left the room with his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. “Joe?” Frank said tentatively. Joe startled as though he just woke from his own world. He took a deep breath and slowly relaxed. “Are you alright?” “Yeah, I am going to turn in for tonight,” Joe would not look at Frank. Only he himself knew how hard he had to fight to control his emotions.

He had hoped that Veronica was not the person they were looking for because she reminded him of Iola, but there was only one Iola in the world and he would never stop loving Iola no matter how much time had passed. Joe wrapped himself up in his blankets and went to sleep. No one needed to know his pillow was slightly damp that night.

The next morning Joe woke up early to follow Veronica on her morning runs. Frank was still sleeping when he snuck out of their room. Veronica was already waiting for him when he reached their meeting spot. “Morning!” she greeted him brightly. “Morning, have you been waiting long?” he asked, bending down to tighten his shoelaces. “Nope, I just got here. Come on, let’s do a lap ‘round the lake first,” Veronica said, leading the way. Joe nodded and followed.

They jogged in silence for a while. By the time they decided to end their run, the sun was already peeking through the tree tops. Veronica guzzled down half her bottle before stretching with a sigh. “That’s a good run. My body felt overly tight after the weekend I had,” she said to Joe.

Seeing an opening, Joe took it. He drank his water before answering, “Yeah? What happened to you over the weekend? I thought you went back to your parents’?” “I did, but things happened and I didn’t get to go for any runs at all,” Veronica dug the toe of her shoes into the grass morosely.

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking,” Joe sat down beside her on the grass. Veronica leaned her head back against the tree beside them. “ My uncle, the one I told you about? He came down from Chicago again to speak with my parents on Friday. When I went back last Friday night, I was told not to leave the house for the weekend because there would be people coming and going on the weekends and I should act as a good hostess.” Veronica was not happy with that at all.

“I see…. But why you? Wouldn’t your mother normally be the hostess? And why would all these people come to your house?” Joe asked curiously. “I know right! But no! My parents went on a weekend-long trip last weekend. Apparently they had planned this trip for some time before the thing for last weekend came up. Also, I don’t even know why all those people came, but they were all my uncle’s friends,” Veronica complained.  Joe hummed non-committedly.

They spent an hour talking (mostly Veronica complaining and Joe listening) before heading back to their respective rooms to shower and get ready for the day.

Joe found Frank waiting for him when he got back. “Veronica’s morning runs?” Frank asked, tossing him his towel and underwear. “Yeah. I don’t think she is involved in whatever her uncle is doing; she has no idea what was happening over the weekend,” Joe replied, heading into the shower. Sam had told them last weekend another big shipment of illegal products were smuggled in. The Network and the local police force had decided to not stop the operation as of yet, wanting to follow the products to their end-buyers.

“I guess that’s good. Hurry up! We have class in an hour and I haven’t eaten yet!” Frank called after Joe. Joe did not dignify that with an answer, instead rushing through his shower routine. Ten minutes later he was dressed and ready for class. Frank was also updated on what Veronica had told him.

“Yeah, I think you are correct. It is quite possible Veronica does not know anything about the smuggling. What about her parents? What do you think?” Frank agreed with Joe after listening to him. Joe shrugged, “I am not sure, but I think that is something for Sam since we are stuck here. Let’s catch him after lunch.”

The boys had a quick breakfast then went to their separate classes for the morning, agreeing to meet up before lunch. Their classes were over quickly, both the boys barely paying any attention to the professors. They had a quick lunch at the cafeteria before heading to Sam’s room.

Luckily for them, Sam was in his room having his own lunch. He let them in, and then sat down to finish his lunch, at the same time gesturing at them to speak. Joe quickly recounted his conversation that morning with Veronica, adding at the end that they were unsure what role Veronica’s parents played in the entire situation. Sam wiped his mouth thoughtfully. “I see. So now what we need to do is to find out more about the Mayes. The girl is not involved, you say? Are you sure?”

“I am quite sure. She doesn’t know the reason for the men coming and going over the weekend. If she’s involved, she would have known why they were here. But when I asked her this morning, she has no idea and was in fact quite annoyed by the men,” Joe answered. “Alright. I shall inform the agents assigned to this case to keep a closer eye on the Mayes. In the meantime, I need you boys to keep close to Veronica. Try to find out more about her family if you can. Frank, keep your ears open. I don’t think there is more than one person involved in this college but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful,” Sam directed.

The boys agreed and returned to their room. “I think this case is going to end very soon,” Frank commented. Joe was busy with something on his bed which Frank could not see lying down. “Good. I am sick and tired of this entire case,” Joe muttered. “Really? I thought you enjoy detective work?” Frank asked in surprise. “Yes, _detective_ work. Not this kind of stupid undercover work. It is ridiculous and we haven’t had any chance to chase up on leads or anything like our other cases.” Joe sounded more frustrated than Frank expected.

He got up and went over to give Joe a quick hug. “Well, this is only as a favour to the Gray Man. After this we can go back to our usual work,” Frank soothed. Joe was quiet for a moment, hands folding the garments on his bed. “Frank,” he said suddenly. “I want to stop doing this for a while at least.”

“Stop doing what?” Frank was confused for a moment, then he understood. “Stop doing any sleuthing? Why?” “Just… stuff. I am a bit tired of this.” Frank was silent for a long moment, before suddenly saying, Alright. We will take a vacation after this shall we? Just the two of us.” He knew what Joe was thinking, what he himself was thinking even. Iola Morton, the pretty vivacious girl that was no more. He could not fault Joe for wanting to take some time off from sleuthing. Heck, even he felt like taking some time off. Joe did not reply.

 

*********************

 

Once the suspects were identified, things moved very quickly. Sam’s agent confirmed that Mr. Mayes was involved in the smuggling operation but Mrs. Mayes was innocent. They had indeed gone on holiday to Los Angelos last weekend, Mrs. Mayes to shop while her husband met with ‘a business associate’. The agents identified the business associate as the head lackey of another mob boss who wanted to get an ‘in’ on the smuggling operation.

Sam told the boys all of these, adding that they were going to move at the end of the week. “There’s a higher chance that the key players are all at home and it would be easier for us to catch all of them,” he said to the boys. They nodded in understanding. Either way, the mission would be ending that week itself.

They went to their classes and did their work. But they were no longer as active as before. Their friends suddenly found that they had withdrawn from society and seek out each other’s company more often than not. Of course, Joe still went on morning runs and study nights with Veronica while Frank still ran his study groups. But their new friends felt that the boys had started distancing themselves.

Although surprise, nobody confronted them about it. After all, they had known the boys for less than a month, not long enough to know them really well, especially since they were often in Professor Leed’s room studying.

Before long, it was Friday. Students from around the area were already packing their bags. By dinner, half of the students had gone home. The other half were either from further away or those who had something planned for the weekend in campus. Veronica was one of those who returned home which was not ideal for Sam’s plan to arrest everyone but nothing he couldn’t deal with.

Frank and Joe also decided to return home. They knew that they would not be returning to this college next week, or in the future for the matter. Although the college was not involved in any nefarious schemes (thank goodness for that!), the boys did not feel like their teaching culture would be something they embraced. Hence, they won’t be ever applying for that college.

The boys went home and were fussed over by their mother and aunt. They had a good dinner before heading up to have a good night’s sleep in their own beds. The next morning, they read that the smuggling ring had been broken open by the police late last night in the paper. A certain number of people were arrested, a certain amount of cargo seized, etc, etc. But they were no longer involved and no use trying to learn more details. All they knew was that they had repaid the favour to the Gray Man.

“That’s it done and done,” Frank said, folding the paper. “We will be having our semester break in two months’ time. What do you think of New York?” “New York? For our vacation? Yes!” Joe said, a genuine grin breaking across his face for the first time in months. “Alright then! It’s decided. We will go to New York for our semester break!”

The boys did not know it yet, but they will once again run into the Gray Man during their trip to New York and became embroiled in another adventure in _Evil, Inc._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, but I do not have the skills to write a mystery for you. Hope you like it (even if a little bit). 
> 
> Regards,   
> Pilgrim_Grey


End file.
